Yoga

Yoga is a 5,000 year old holistic path to health and self development that begins with your body and affects all aspects of being. By balancing your body, breath, mind and spirit regular yoga practice will help you to accept and adapt to the things life throws at you.

Yoga is a spiritual practice that makes your body stronger, more flexible and generally much healthier. But the aim is to calm your mind, open your heart and stimulate your own spiritual awareness. In yoga, we use asanas –(postures) and pranayama (the breath) to open every constricted area of the body and mind. This helps to release tension and as your body relaxes and opens, your mind also becomes calm and less busy. When your mind is less busy, negative feelings such as anxiety, fear and anger can melt away. Your mind can then open up to allow patience, acceptance and compassion.

Practicing yoga is a healing process. It isn’t about getting postures perfect, its about being sensitive to your own body and listening to it to stay within your own physical abilities. The Sanskrit words “sukha sthira asanam” mean “strength with ease” and this is important as it teaches you to listen to your body and to work towards what feels comfortable for you. Your body is the vehicle for your soul, so it needs to be treated with respect. Feel your boundaries, sense your limitations. But on all levels of consciousness respect and allow yourself to expand.

Here’s a brief summary of what yoga is all about:

Yoga is a practical philosophy involving every aspect of our being. It teaches us both self discipline and self awareness.

On a physical level it gives us relief from illness. The postures strengthen and stretch the body and create a feeling of well being that concentration.

Spiritually, yoga introduces inner awareness and gives us the gift of being still.

The whole path of yoga is a journey of inner peace and ultimately enlightenment (Nirvana).